Josh Heupel made a smart move for Tennessee on Wednesday
Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel made a smart move on Wednesday. In a bit of a surprise move, the Vols landed BYU transfer linebacker Keenan Pili on Wednesday, which is also the first day of the early signing period. Pili, who is 24 years old, has one year of eligibility remaining. Linebacker is a […]
Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel made a smart move on Wednesday.
In a bit of a surprise move, the Vols landed BYU transfer linebacker Keenan Pili on Wednesday, which is also the first day of the early signing period.
Pili, who is 24 years old, has one year of eligibility remaining.
Linebacker is a huge position of need for the Vols. It's unlikely that Jeremy Banks will be back next season. And it's also unclear if Juwan Mitchell will return in 2023. That leaves Aaron Beasley as the only linebacker with significant experience on Tennessee's roster.
Pili is a player that can immediately step into the Vols' defense and play a key role for Tennessee.
The Utah native was a captain for BYU and he was second on the team in tackles. He also knows what it's like to win in Neyland Stadium as he was part of the BYU team that beat Tennessee in 2019 in Knoxville.
Tennessee has been smart with portal additions. They aren't taking just anyone. Instead, Heupel and his staff are being careful to only add players that they know will help the program. And Pili certainly appears to fall in that category.
Featured image via Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
